The Strider Chronicles
by Cat Lionheart
Summary: A story based on my newest Skyrim character a Wood Elf Ranger and all the crap he gets into.
1. Entry 1

My name is, well it doesn't matter what my name is, people call me "Strider" have ever since I was little and liked a character in a book I read about a ring. This is a journal that I will keep and record my travels in in that way maybe I can be a little like the Strider in that book.

Day time. I am in Whiterun now. I will record what I can about how I got here honestly it is all kind of a blur to me even now. I remember it was night and I was trying to cross the border into Skyrim, one of the last untamed regions there is and one that is the closest to get to from Bruma. Then there was a fight between the Legion and some nords that looked like they could be city guards. Next things I remember I wake up in a cart next to one of them and a guy in black that was gagged. Apparently he was the leader of a rebellion and those soldiers where called "Stormcloaks", kinda catchy really, from what I gathered from keeping my mouth shut and just listening was that they were taking him to be executed. It took a few minutes for the horse thief to catch on that we were thought to be members of the rebellion and were to be executed as well. Some nords are as thick as the common wisdom would have them be. Not that I cared though honestly I don't feel alive anymore since my time as a merc ranger in the great war anyway, so why not just die it is not like I have anyone to miss me anymore anyway.

So I hop down off the cart and the Legion begins making a list of people to be executed. Ulfric Stormcloak was the leader's name. I shall have to remember that. The horse thief ran blind scared, I knew he would not get far, and I was right the legate called for archers and he didn't even make it past the tree next to the path, heh heh, I considered how I wanted it arrows or axe, I decided axe makes me look less of a coward. When they get to me I just told them "Strider" not like I show up anywhere on Imperial records anymore anyway. I was slightly nervous they would notice their mistake and spare me, Nocturnal was on my side, they didn't. I like the first guy that went he said he didn't have time to wait around and made the priest halt the last rights, he lost his head then it was my turn. I thought I heard a roar but I didn't care I kneeled down to the block and a dragon, black as ebony laded and started destroying everything.

I don't know why I did it, I mean death by dragon is a pretty good way to go but I got up and went hands still bound. I remember jumping from a tower into a house that had its roof destroyed, and I remember meeting up with the list maker Hadvar, is his name, I want with him my training to from in took over and before I knew it we had fought our way out of a tower and some caves escaping the dragon and Helgen.

I followed Hadvar down the mountain on a path and we came to some standing stones, three of them, with the star signs and a pictogram of them, the Mage, the Warrior, and the Thief. I touched the warrior one, it glowed, and I felt, changed some how. Hadvar said I should join the Legion and help quell the rebellion. Why not? Seems as likely to get me killed as anything else and if I succeed I would be helping people, no matter what someone wins. We made to a village based around a lumber mill called Riverwood. I sat down with Hadvar at his uncle's place, agreed to help a guy get back a lost item and sold a bunch of useless crap I picked up. I then made my way to Whiterun after stumbling across Pelagia farm on my way here. I also seen this woman, she looks wild with her green face paint, seen her and a few guys take down a giant, they motioned they were from the Companions, even I have heard of them. They said I should come by sometimes. For her, maybe I will. All of this in a day. I wonder what tonight and tomorrow will bring.


	2. Entry 2

Night. I went to Dragonsreach Castle to deliver the warning to the Jarl. A not so pretty dunmer woman wearing leather armor approached me with her sword drawn, lucky her I figured she worked for the Jarl other wise I would have put an arrow in her face. She demanded to know what I was doing there, she held her tongue pretty quickly when I told her what she wanted to know. The Jarl, Balgruuf the Greater, he talked for quite a while, he seems to have surrounded him self with a few idiots, makes me wonder if he is any good at his job. He then thanked me and gave me some studded Imperial light armor, nice stuff really, he then introduced to the Court Wizard man (mer?) by the name of Farina Secret Fire, guy pisses me off the condescending troll's dick. He wanted me to play fetch pretty much because he can't be bothered to do it himself and is probably too weak too, I told him I said I would do it, what I didn't tell him is that I would do it when I get around to it.

I left the castle and headed down the stairs and I noticed a long house that I heard mentioned as Jorrvaskr right across from the Temple of Kynareth, one of the best parts of the city if you ask me, I noted it and knew I would have to visit it later, but first to check out Jorrvaskr. When I entered the first thing I saw was a fist fight, I suddenly got the impression that this might not be the best place for me. That girl with the wild look and the face paint is her and when I asked around if I could join I was directed to talk to the Harbinger of the Companions himself, Kodlac Whitemane, a guy he was talking to didn't think I had the stuff to join, I kinda agree with him, but Kodlac seen something in my eyes he liked. He told the guy, a nord with black face paint named Vilkas to take me out back and see how I do in a fight. I was expecting a sparing session but what I got was the guy readied his sword and shield and told me to hit him like I meant it that he could take it, honestly I believed him something about him seems wild and strong, almost like a dangerous beast, so I gave him what he asked for. I drew my dagger in my right and sword in my left and swiped at him leaving a false opening in my defense and let him have it when he went for it with my sword. He is quick, he blocked me with his shield and called it over. Next thing I know he tells me to have his sword sharpened. I hate being a recruit, what ever I asked for this. So I do it, and get directed to take a woman named Aela her shield by the black smith, nord by the name of Eorlund Grey-Mane the best smith in all of Skyrim, or so conventional wisdom would hold, so I did it. Turns out Aela is the name of that woman with the green face paint. I have not felt for a woman this way since my elder sister, she was talking with a intimidating man named Skjor, she asked me if I thought I could take Vilkas in a real fight, I told her I didn't like to boast, she seemed to like that answer. They called for a another nord with black face named Farkas, brother of Vilkas apparently to show me where the 'new bloods' as recruits are called sleep. He showed me to a place with a bunch of beds and said to "Pick a bed and fall in it..". I did gladly since I was dead tired.

Day. I woke up about noon, I was directed to talk to Farkas.. He said that basically there was a guy that needed "Convincing" of something, great now I have to beat a guy down I thought, lucky me it was a shop owner. And he didn't take much 'persuasion'. Farkas then told me to talk to Skjor, he told me that a scholar of some sort claiming to have located a fragment of Wuuthrad, which apparently is the axe used by the founder of the Companions, Ysgramor. It was located in a place called Dustman's Cairn and that it was a sort of test of mien since it was my first job as a Companion recruit. Farkas was to go with me to help and to observe me in action. I like to work alone and a guy in heavy armor does not exactly sneak as good as a ranger in light armor.

Sundown. We left Whiterun and traveled all night finding a giant camp called Bleakwind Basin on our way to Dustman's Cairn. Mammoths are HUGE, I mean I have heard stories but to see one. I MUST hunt one, one day.

Sunrise. We arrived at the entrance to the place. I was expecting a cave or something I guess, What it was, was a burial mound. A big one. We get inside and there are these undead things called Draugr, not entirely dissimilar from a Cyrodiilic zombie really, just not as juicy also they are smarter, depending on the zombie type. Between the two of us it was pretty easy to dispatch them all. The real complications came when I managed to lock myself in a barred room. Farkas said he would get me out, but before he did some guys surrounded him and tried to kill him I did not quite catch why, but I guess what happened next explained it pretty well he transformed into a werewolf and killed them all before running off and coming back normal having deactivated the bars. He asked if he had scared me, I asked him if he was going to turn me into a werewolf. I think he thought I was scared of the thought and said no it is reserved for only some members of the Companions, honestly, I like the idea. After that we mostly just killed these werewolf hunters calling them selves the "Silver Hand". It is a miracle of the Nine (screw what the Thalmor say I believe Talos became a god.) they were not wiped out long ago their armor and weapons are of poor to average civilian quality at best. The place looks large on the outside but it is bigger inside, in the deepest part we found the fragment. It was a long walk back to Whiterun though carrying all the crap I picked up. I need a horse, and a cart, it took about a day but we got back and I sold off all of my excess stuff I collected. Day, The Companion held a small ceremony behind Jorrvaskr where I become a Companion proper. Still the newest member though. I think tomorrow I will go and se about retrieving that thing that Court Wizard wants. How hard could that be?


	3. Entry 3

Morning. Lazily set out from Whiterun to Riverwood. Took about a half day with all the plants and animals I hunted along the way. Killed my first Skyrim hare, had my first wolf here a while ago, I need to get a house to put stuff I do not actively want on me in. I am finding that the animals of Skyrim are tougher then on Cyrodiil. I started to walk up the path and I see a tower, I thought I could get off a few choice arrows from there but it was filled with bandits and I got caught before I could ascend the tower. I need to brush up on my stealth, I must be rusty. I took what little loot there was and continued on. Bleak Falls Barrow looks like a temple built on top of and into a mountain top. My instincts told me draugr were in there, and I was right. But there was also a few bandits in there too, not too smart but amusing to watch walking into and setting off traps, my favorite one was this one, he was stuck in the webbing of this giant Frostbite spider I killed. Guy wanted me to cut him down said he would help me if I did, he betrayed me, sooner then I expected, and made a run form it as soon as I cut him down, fool, he should have seen the quiver on my back, you can't outrun an arrow, actually running makes the venom on said arrow worse. So I looted his body and found that golden claw that that guy in Riverwood wanted me to return to him, but according to the dead bandit's journal it was needed to go further into the temple (tomb?). Well the shop keeper could wait for it a little longer I decided and I went further in, I still had that tablet to find after all. If it was here at all.

I got further through and came to a large circular door that had rotating rings on it. I remembered the last trap with symbols they were found in the room it was in its self, which I had a bad feeling about it is like they were keeping something in not out, so I looked around the room and found nothing so I remembered the last combination, snake, snake, whale, didn't work so well, lucky me I am good at dodging, I don't mind dieing but I now have a few promises to keep. So I began to look around again, nothing, so I took a look at the claw its self, there was the combination on the back, as I said in not out, The door turns and perfect lines up and then opens. So I am walking through the place trying my best not to be seen and I keep hearing this, chanting, almost like a rallying cry before battle, it kept getting louder as I approached the central chamber. The central chamber was almost not even built it reminded me of some secluded forest groves I have seen. Except for the giant white wall it had writing on it in a language I do not know but yet somehow I am able to understand, more or less, and one word though just mentioned stood out, glowed really, and the call got louder to me and it finished in almost a victory chant when I approached it and touched the wall and felt some sort of power run through me like being hit by a shock spell but it didn't hurt at all. I remember a wall in Dustman's Cairn that I shall have to return to, I didn't think anything of the chanting at the time though it was a blow I took to the head maybe, but now. Anyway the word was "Fus" meaning force, I have no idea how I know that. Anyway, I feel the surge then the tomb in the middle of the room breaks out and a tough draugr busts out of it. Not at bow range I drew my dagger and blade, we danced for a few minutes but his blade work was sloppy, despite having a magic sword that I gladly took. On its body was the tablet I was looking for, with a flip of the a switch a hidden passage opened revealing a short cut to the entrance, lucky me.

Night. I started down the mountain dragging my huge sack of crap behind me. I really need a horse, and a cart, and driver. So I switch to my sword and dagger since I can't run to evade like I should with bow combat and I do not think sneaking would really help me either in this case. So I am walking back at a snails pace, in the dark, in a thick woods, and the first thought to pop into my head is a conversation between two guards I heard they said that they heard howling and thought that the werewolf stories are true, I SEEN Farkas transform into one so I know they exist around here, but honestly I am not as worried about that as I am werebears, several texts I read in the Imperial City said that werebears were the most common were in Skyrim. I have put down werewolves before, but I did not think in in that condition I could have killed one. And to make matters worse I started to remember some cautionary tales we were told in the merc band I was in in Cyrodiil during the war, The Spriggans, about vampires, I know that each region has their own tribe but in Cyrodiil the tales were of a lone soldier almost like I am now coming upon a cabin in the woods lived in alone by either a kindly old woman or a beautiful lusty maiden, she helps the solider and invites them in and they go in to have a meal only to become one themselves. And that is when I discovered Anise's Cabin. Didn't help me that there was an old woman there chopping wood, there was no way I was going to stop and rest I tried to drag that sack faster to Riverwood. I made it and went straight to the Sleeping Giant Inn and rested until morning, had another dream about my beloved sister Regina, I miss her, and selling off my stuff. I am slowly getting very rich from this. Morning. I am heading off to Whiterun after breakfast, I think one of the women in the inn is staring at me for some reason, but I am not sure. I think I have earned a hot breakfast for a change.


	4. Entry 4

Day. I set off from Riverwood with a full stomach of hot food and ale. I am always careful how much I drink so I am never inebriated being drunk is a serious hazard to living and I watch my intake out of habit now days. I arrived in Whiterun with my long breakfast and lazy pace around midday. I headed up to Dragonsreach castle at a normal pace, and headed for the Court Wizard he was talking to a woman, in leather armor and a hood I could not see her face but I could swear I have seen her before, somewhere. I handed the Dragonstone to him and asked what was next, he said that is where my work ended and his began, fine with me, I now have no obligation to uphold to anyone. Just as I was thinking that someone came in and reported a dragon had attacked the Western Watchtower, I wondered when something like that might happen. I noticed everyone in the room headed to hear the story and talk to the Jarl, me I noticed the woman in leather armor she had a slight smile to her and walked out of the castle pretty much unnoticed. She knows more then she is letting on, not my problem though. I went up to see the Jarl as I at least thought I should report my success to him. In the process of waiting for a good moment and listening to what was going on he turned to me and wanted me to go and help the dunmer woman, Irileth, fight the dragon simply because I had more experience then anyone else with them. Sure, if you count running from one experience, in which case that winded guard is as good as me. Whatever I agreed to help, though in the back of my mind I knew that if it was the big black dragon that destroyed Helgen the hand full of guards and myself would be nothing but a toasted distraction, well at least everyone else would I would sneak off and try to get back to Jorrvaskr, I would trust the group of them to take a dragon then the common quality of guard around here.

So I set out from Dragonsreach and headed toward the Western Watchtower, for such an apocalyptic event there were still many animals about and wildlife were not all hiding, it was as if nothing was out of place. I guess that is another thing that makes dragon's so dangerous, no forewarnings. I came to the point that Irileth had pointed out as the meeting point. I got there first naturally, and had to wait on them, it certainly look like it had been attacked but, I didn't think the big black dragon had done it or it would have been in rubble I thought. I waited for a while and thought maybe they had all decided against what basically amounted to suicide, but no they were just slow. After trying to encourage her men we went in search of survivors, surprisingly in the tower I found one. The guy refused to come out saying how another guard had tried to run for it and got snatch up by the dragon. About the time he said that a roar filled the sky. I was dreading looking out I didn't want to see the black dragon, but I had no choice so I poked my head out of the tower and seen a brown dragon, or maybe it was red, hard to tell, anyway when I seen it was not black I stared pelting it with arrows and the guards they were doing the same, Irileth was using magic on it and I decided to hide in the tower as it made passes. It finally landed and somehow I just knew it didn't have it in it to fly again, so I pulled out my sword and dagger and went for it while the guards were going at it I hacked and slashed away, I would have thought a dragon more, damage resistant then that, but at one point I hopped up on the thing, a dragon head is really no harder to ride then a spooked horse, except for the teeth of doom, but, it was fun, so I jumped on top of its head and start basically slapping away with my sword and dagger and the thing dies and I hop off like some kind of madman. Although I do admit it was fun. Then it glows and its flesh vaporized, like a vampire or something and then it was like I had cast a soul tarp spell on it but I was the soul gem, creepy as hell, but it felt pretty good, like eating a hot ham, it left you full and warm.

The guards started gathering around and talking and declaring that I was Dragonborn, I have no idea what that is but they said that if I was I could shout. I thought about shouting an obscenity but I didn't. So I cleared my mind and showed the first thing that came to mind. "Fus" just popped in and I shouted it, it knocked over one of the guards and they all declared me a Dragonborn. Irileth scoffed at it and said we should head back to the castle and I agreed. And collecting a few of the remaining scales and bones from the dragon. Never killed a dragon before and I wanted a trophy to two. With as heavy as its bones are it is a small miracle the thing can fly, it is like iron or something. Before heading back I grabbed the stuff that fell out of the dragon's stomach, and off some of the burnt corpses, I figured they don't need them and I can always use the coin. I am lugging all this crap back to Whiterun and I hear a collection of voices across the sky like thunder "DOVAHKIIN" It said, it means Dragonborn I have come to understand. But I ignored it and continued to Whiterun. I need a horse.

Someone who I am fond of seeing now days and whom I think is always happy to see me is Adrianne Avenicci, I like her because has always has coin for me and she likes me because I always have interesting crap to sell her. I got my coin and report in to Dragonsreach castle. The Jarl found the story interesting, when I asked him what that noise was he said the Grey Beards were summoning the Dragonborn, me, to them at High Hrothgar, on The Throat of the World Mountain, before he made me Thane and appointed a woman named Lydia as my Housecarl, which basically means that I am a hero around there and she is my sidekick, lovely. He also said I could purchase a home in Whiterun, excellent, my purse was heavy anyway. So I talked to his Steward, a man by the name of Proventus Avenicci, father to the blacksmith girl I like to see. And he sold and gave me the deed to the house Breezehome, which is next to Warmaiden's the blacksmith shop where Adrianne works, convenient, and all the accessories in the house, including an Alchemy lab, I really need to find a book and brush up. I am happy to have a home in the middle of Skyrim personally, now to have someone other then my lackey Lydia in it also I have a place to store my crap!


	5. Entry 5

Morning. I woke up early and decided to prepare to go to High Hrothgar, to The Throat of the World Mountain and the Grey Beards. So I spent the day in preparation gathering supplies and generally checking my equipment.

Day. My armor I took from a few places, Bandits and Stormcloaks mostly, so as one could guess it is mostly leather and fur. Even so I found I could improve the fit more to myself and reinforce it some without making it any heavier. So using some of the leather I have been tanning from the hides of the wolves and deer and things I have taken down when I am out I made those improvements it feels much sturdier now but I think it could still be improved a little bit more, though I do not yet know how. I have managed to find an Imperial Legion bow, it is a good one but I know a few things that could be used to improve it, find the materials were the trick but fortunately for me Adrianne had all of them for sell. So I spent a few hours making said improvements. I do think that in Skyrim that bow is my most treasured item.

I finally found some books on alchemy in one of the local shops _De Rerum Dirennis_ and _Herbalist's Guide to Skyrim. _I spent some time and brushed up and with what I remembered and with the plants I remembered to gather anytime I am out I had enough to make more then I would need for my journey. Then I stored the rest of the unused plants in a place in my alchemy lab. I think I have enough potions now to kill someone with by the sheer weight of them.

Evening. I went by The Drunken Huntsman and stocked up on arrows. Come morning I will set out and see how the journey goes, I might actually be able to get to sleep now if Lydia would stop staring at me, she is creepy sometimes.


	6. Entry 6

Day. I decided to leave for Ivarstead. So I set off down the road, first thing I discovered was Chillfurrow Farm a small farm just outside of Whiterun and near it I discovered Battle-Born Farm, lots of farms outside Whiterun. I checked my map and decided to follow the road for a little bit longer before trying to cut through the mountain. I caught a glimpse of a stone similar to the ones that Hadvar showed me and decided to check it out, after all the first three were interesting who knows what wonders the rest could contain. I made my way up to it and there was a necromancer there that brought a skeleton back and tried to attack me, a few arrows solved that problem but when got close to the stone its self something about it struck me as, 'off', I didn't want to touch it and left after that to continuing to follow the road.

Evening. Discovered a Stormcloak camp near Whiterun, if I had to guess I would bet they are camped here as a vanguard to an attack on Whiterun. I am going to join the Imperial Legion myself but I kept that little bit to myself as I checked out the camp, they were nice enough, wanting me to join and get others to join, not likely. I made a note of where it was and continued on. I made my way to a place I would later learn is called Valtheim Towers. I get there and a bandit woman comes out and says it is a toll road and that I have to pay gold to use it. I wondered why a woman, I mean do most see a pretty face and some breasts and pay? Me I would have set a huge nord or an orc out there with scars and is like seven feet tall with an axe or a hammer. That says pay up to me. So she demanded coin and I said how about I pass and let her live, she didn't go for it, so I pulled out my sword and daggers and slaughtered the whole place. One would think after the first three they would have given up, but apparently in Skyrim you need to have no skill and be thick is stone to be a bandit. By the time I finished it was night.

Night. I started cutting across the mountain path at night, suicide to most but I find it manageable. I also notice I get attacked by wolves a lot, that trip alone I killed twelve of them, I mean it worries me that I may have a negative impact on their population, it can't really be helped but still. Wandering about the mountain I noticed how steep it was, there was no way to just get up it so I began to look for a place to climb up path wise, and in doing so I stumbled across Guldun Rock a giant camp, the night seemed to blaze by to me and I stumbled across place after place, Hillgrund's Camp, Lost Knife Hideout, Shroud Hearth Barrow, not at all lost but just finding them. Before finding Ivarstead I was ambushed by a troll I do not know how it managed to get the drop on me, it could have been a member of the Dark Brotherhood it was so quiet, it nearly had me but out of no where this man using magic like a shield and wielding a sword came along and saved me. The man was a wandering bard named Talsgar the Wanderer, after that I decided it might be prudent of me to tag along with him to Ivarstead. He made a good traveling companion too before we parted ways I paid for a song, seemed the least I could do, and he is pretty good at it as well. Bards huh, I might have to look into the Bards College in Solitude when I visit.

Night. Arriving at Ivarstead in the small hours of the night I decided to make my way up the Throat of the World Mountain. It was actually pretty easy going steps, guide post markers, and only a few wolves on the way up, until I got about two thirds of the way up. I got to another inscription stone and just talked to this woman there and out of nowhere a dragon shows up. I was not pleased by this, I mean it is hard enough when I have room to maneuver the way I want but this mountain is his (her?) turf, I have no where to go and it can buzz me as much it likes. I drew my sword and dagger because there were to many trees around to make bow shots reliable enough to rely on. The hard part was evading it enough to make it land, or so I thought, turns out dragons are tough when not on the wing too, I should have seen that coming. It took me a while cost me dozens of potions and made me proficient with healing magic but I finally won, after absorbing its soul I continued on hoping that was the last obstacle, it wasn't. I continued up and I seen a frost troll, I knew if I could not take a troll a frost troll was beyond all hope for me. Which is funny because I can kill dragons, dragons for the Nine's sake yet a troll and a frost troll can kill me? Odd. I tired to sneak by it as best I could and it dropped down behind me. That is when I ran with all the speed Kynareth would grant me and reached the door. I looked back and I had some how lost the troll. The Greybeards welcomed me and gave a few tests, I do like how they whispered and it inscribed the word on the floor. They taught me the words "Ro" which means balance, and "Wuld" which means whirlwind, I like that one myself, when you shout it is like being pulled or falling forward, gets you places in almost an instant. then they sent me off to a tomb to retrieve the horn of a man, the founder of the way of the voice, which I like because they retrieve my patroness goddess Kynareth, named Jurgen Windcaller. Yeah I will get around to that, eventually.


End file.
